My First Twitter Experience

I admit that my reason for opening a Twitter account almost 5 years ago was entirely selfish. I was living in North Carolina at the time, and my oldest daughter was obsessed with Taylor Swift. I know that obsessed is a harsh word, but she truly fit the definition. Just a few months prior to my Twitter trial, my daughter received a MySpace message from Taylor Swift at about 1:00 in the morning. How do I know this? Because she scared me to death, rushing into our bedroom in the middle of my dream ridden coma, screaming unintelligible babel which we finally translated into the infamous MySpace message that still is hanging on the bulletin board in her room. Taylor Swift wanted to meet her at the concert Katie was attending. She even provided the name and email address of her manager. I don't think Katie slept for the next few days...just planning this meeting. She bought presents, created t-shirts, made posters...but alas, the manager returned her email with a "sorry, we cannot allow you into meet Taylor...response." She was heartbroken and I was agitated! What a horrible trick to play on a 14 year old! So how does that play into the Twitter account? I'll tell you.A few months later, a radio station was giving away front row seats and back stage passes to meet Taylor Swift. You had to listen for the clues on the morning radio show, be the "lucky" caller, and identify the noise they played on air. I discovered that the radio station was providing clues for these sounds on their Twitter, so I signed up for a Twitter account to win tickets for my daughter. I had no clue what Twitter was, how to use it, or if it would even help me, but I was determined. To cut to the chase, with a lot of prayer, speed dial, and some helpful "tweets," I won the tickets for Katie. Needless to say, I have a soft spot in my heart for Twitter and the knowledge that God cares an awful lot about the small things in my life.Five years later, I use Twitter more than I use Facebook. I find it to be more informative, easier to navigate, and less shallow. I follow my favorite bands, my favorite authors, my favorite speakers. I follow my friends and family. I get my news from Twitter, my teaching ideas from Twitter, my technology tips from Twitter, and my quirky UberFacts from Twitter. I've held conversations with people across the country and participated in book studies by using #hashtags. And yes, I still follow Taylor Swift, although I'm not sure if I still follow that radio station. Hmmm, I better check on that!Melissa